Duel Links is a game I’ve been playing on and off for the past two years. The game has progressively turned from occasional pick up, duel and put down to full blown obsession culminating in achieving a first King of Games rank in mid December. So what better way to kick start an analysis series than by discussing my most successful deck to date – introducing Silent Spellbooks!

The Playstyle

The Spellbook archetype is, in all honesty, a slow and tedious one to play; you can win as many games through skill as you can by simply boring your opponent to sleep! In short, the goal is to get a Spellcaster on the field, get three spellbooks in the graveyard so your “boss spell” Spellbook of Fate has all the fuel needed to use any of its three effects; returning a set spell or trap to the owners hand, changing the battle position of any monster or banishing any card on the field. By themselves, Spellbooks are mediocre at best – however, by adding a set of Silent Magicians to the deck, you combine spells, with the ability to control a field from first turn to last, with a powerful set of monsters capable of overpowering anything in the meta!

The Skill

There are three competitively viable skills to use this deck with:

3. Yami Yugi – Destiny Draw

As good as the Spellbooks are themselves, I’ve lost many a duel from not being able to summon Silent Magician within the first few turns. Destiny Draw helps to mitigate this somewhat, allowing you to draw the card of your choosing once your Life Points decrease by 2000. It’s very easy to lose 2000 LP without your Silent Magician on the field and, with the help of Spellbook of Fate, easy enough to control the damage your take from the first battle phase. Being able to draw your Silent Magician whenever you want, whilst your LP are in a pinch, could give you the momentum boost you need to shift a duel in your favour.

2. Ishizu Ishtar – Sealed Tombs

Arguably the best skill for competitive play, Sealed Tombs prevents BOTH players from Banishing or Special Summoning monsters from the graveyard until the end of your opponents next turn. This skill has the potential to shut down Vampires (one of the strongest decks in the meta) and opposing Spellbooks for a turn which gives you the perfect advantage to swing a duel in your favour.

1. Maximillion Pegasus – Mind Scan

And finally, the skill I use with this deck! Mind Scan lets you see all your opponents set cards (from the third turn onwards) whilst your Life Points are above 3000. This provides excellent synergy with your Spellbook of Fate – allowing you to pick the perfect target for your banish without fail – whilst also preventing you from attacking blindly into a Drowning Mirror Force with one of your Silent Magicians.

The Monsters

The monster choices in this build is the main reason I don’t run the Sealed Tombs skill or tech in any Cosmic Cyclones whilst laddering. Three Silent Magicians is a given, offering a higher chance of drawing her early on. Negating any spell activation is a ridiculously strong ability, as is being able to summon a Silent Magician LV8 when she’s destroyed by battle or an opponents card effect. One Silent Magician LV8 is ample, with enough Attack to overcome almost any opposing monster and an ability which allows it to wall any mirror matches & doesn’t leave you vulnerable for a cheesy E-Con take for game play. One LV8 is ample, though I’ve seen a few duelists running two to catch out opponents carelessly destroying any further LV4s whilst one LV8 is languishing in the Graveyard.

Three Spellbook Magician of Prophecy’s is also non negotiable – allowing you to search for any of your Spellbooks once it’s summoned or flipped face up whilst also serving as tribute fodder for your Silent Magician. Your ideal starting hand will give you a way to summon Prophecy, mill out three of your Spellbooks whilst setting up for a Silent Magician summon in your first or second turn.

Breaker The Magical Warrior is an excellent addition to the deck. Acting as a monster alternative to Cosmic Cyclone with enough attack power to overcome the Level Four or lower monsters from Masked Hero decks (before using your Spell Counter) and Vampire Decks, and an ability which can allow you to remove powerful continuous traps like Amazoness Onslaught from the board.

Chow Len The Prophet serves a similar function to Breaker – enough attack points to overcome popular Level Four monsters and an ability to immobilize a back row card. His effect works wonders with Mind Scan – as you can guarantee an immobilization – but also with other abilities as you’re able to look at any set back row card, regardless of whether you call its type correctly.

Kycoo The Ghost Destroyer was the latest addition to the deck. Serving as a monster variant of Ishizu’s skill, Kycoo was included to give us an added edge in the mirror match – protecting your field from opposing Spellbook of Fates and/or removing from play opponents Spellbooks before they could be used by Fate in later turns. The secondary effect of removing up to two monsters from play after he inflicts battle damage also came in handy whilst facing Vampires – removing them from play before they could rise from the grave.

The Spell[book]s

Whilst a case can be made for Cosmic Cyclone and Offerings to the Doomed in certain matchups, the remaining slots of your deck should be filled to the brim with Spellbooks. If you’re participating in a tournament which grants access to using a side deck – definitely dedicate a couple of slots to Cyclones and Offerings. For laddering, however, fill these slots with Spellbooks. Below is the ratio of books which worked best for myself, but feel free to chop and change the quantities of each however you see fit.

Spellbook of Secrets – 3

Spellbook of Fate – 3

Spellbook of the Master – 2

Spellbook of Power – 1

Spellbook of Eternity – 1

Spellbook Organization – 1

The Trap

Treacherous Trap Hole… that is all. Defensive back row can be useful in certain situations (I’d definitely consider running a Mirror Wall in a Destiny Draw build) but, with the field control Fate, Silent Magician, Breaker, Kycoo and Chow Len exert over the field, it’s not necessary at all.

The Classic Spellbook First Turn

The ultimate first turn for this deck will often follow a pattern similar to this:

Step One: Play Spellbook of Secrets or Spellbook Magician of Prophecy and search appropriate Spellbook card.

Step Two: Play Secrets or Prophecy (whichever you didn’t use in step one) to search second appropriate Spellbook card.

Step Three: Play Spellbook of the Master – search for one of the following in descending order of priority; Fate, Organization, Magician, Eternity.

Step Four: Play Spellbook of Organization – place, preferably, Silent Magician on top of your deck, ready for summoning next turn. If not, place a Spellbook on top to restart this cycle in your next tun.

Step Five: Set Spellbook of Fate. If Silent Magician is in your hand already, summon her.

The ideal ending hand will contain a card ready to begin this cycle again (a Prophecy Magician, Secrets or Eternity) whilst your field will have a loaded Spellbook of Fate set facedown and – if you’re lucky – a Silent Magician to protect your Fate from opposing Cyclones or other popular removal.

The Verdict

Silent Spellbooks is my favourite deck to play. It matches my control oriented playstyle whilst containing enough resources to overpower any deck in the meta. However, it’s by no means without its weaknesses; the deck relies heavily on getting your Silent Magician onto the field as quickly as possible. If you don’t draw her in your opening hand and aren’t able to move her to the top of your deck with an early Organization, you’ll be spending the majority of your resources just to stay in the duel. DNA surgery can stop you from using Fate or Summoning Silent Magician until you’re able to summon Breaker to destroy it whilst the popular Control decks which focus on choking you out of duels by removing your monsters from play whilst setting numerous powerful back row can force you to use up all three of your Fates very early into the duel. Definitely still capable of reaching King of Games, but not the easiest way of getting there.

]]>https://goldenrodpress.com/2019/01/07/duel-links-deck-preview-1-silent-spellbooks/feed/0silent magichaoticespeondecklistunidentified_sleeping_headmaster_with_apple3936613ec44e8a2acd74ebbd5e8af0f380ebd662_hqsealed tombsmind scanProphecy.pngbreakerchow lenkycoosecretsfatemasterpowereternityorganizationtreacherousLush Cosmetics Review #3 – Dragon Egg!https://goldenrodpress.com/2018/09/21/lush-cosmetics-review-3-dragon-egg/
https://goldenrodpress.com/2018/09/21/lush-cosmetics-review-3-dragon-egg/#respondFri, 21 Sep 2018 12:10:56 +0000http://chaoticespeon.com/?p=5927I am a woman on a mission, and that sweet smelling quest is to test and review every Lush bath bomb I can get my glitter stained hands on. For those who wish to read a little more about Lush and their company policies, click here. For those already in the know, below you will find a very honest break down of the pros and cons of each product I have used. For the record, I am not an employee of the company, past or present and I am not endorsed by Lush in any way (although I wish I was!).

Today’s review is on…

Dragon Egg!

This bath bomb is sweet and full of surprises. The plain white ‘egg’ has a small splash of colour but for the most part looks very clinical and dare I say, boring. Compared to other creations it sits neighbour too, such as Yellow Submarine and Rocket Science, it is nothing visually exciting. However, only a fool would overlook this bath bomb. The scent of it is enough to grab a couple and put them in your basket immediately. It smells as what I can only describe as what I imagine the Wonka factory to whiff like. Sweet and sugary with an overall burst of playful fun. It is definitely one of my personal favourite scents, bringing out the big kid in me for it leaves my mouth watering for some lemon sherbet. As soon as it touches the water, the creamy white exterior foams away, before spewing out its first secret – a vibrant fire orange splash of colour. Glitter comes next, quite subtle but beautiful, creating glistening swirls in the bath. And then for its grand finale comes the crackle of popping candy. It was a totally unexpected revelation which made bath-time whimsical and joyful. I felt like a giggling child, admiring the golden sparkles of the water, listening to the snapping bubbles. This ballistic is a slow fizzer, which makes the experience longer. And with each stage of the bomb revealing itself, there was never a dull moment. This is a must have and a true show stopper. By far, one of the most sprightly and vivacious bath products I have ever used.

]]>https://goldenrodpress.com/2018/09/21/lush-cosmetics-review-3-dragon-egg/feed/0downloadberryhartPeace In Death: Meant To Gohttps://goldenrodpress.com/2018/09/21/peace-in-death-meant-to-go/
https://goldenrodpress.com/2018/09/21/peace-in-death-meant-to-go/#respondFri, 21 Sep 2018 12:03:39 +0000http://goldenrodpress.com/?p=6085There was a silent sob on the end of the phone. The operator stated their officers would be there soon. In a wet mess on the floor, a mother held her daughter closely. She begged and cried, sobbing into the lifeless body of her child, longing for her eyes to flutter open, her hand to reach out, for life to return. Blue and red lights flashed down the street, but it was too late. The bath tub was stained red, the girl’s last breath long since elapsed. The mother had already been scarred for life and Death? Death had already arrived, tailed by Life.

“It’s a beautiful tragedy,” Death commented, watching the scene unfold.
“How can you just sit there and watch? Won’t you give the dear soul another chance at life? Don’t take her soul just yet,” Life insisted.
Death shook its head, “I don’t expect you to understand sweet child. All you do is create more beings. I could let this girls life continue, but, it’ll cost another life; make another impact on someone else’s. If I give her another chance, in a year she’ll stumble across a man who will touch without permission, force her into ‘love’. Then she’ll live on to do the same to others, hardwired into believing its fine. She will cause destruction within the lives of others, ruin their innocence and, in the end, she’ll kill herself again. Except this time, she’s hurt many. Right now her soul is pure. Hurt, but pure. She’s innocent and caring, but someone else’s twisted mind will change that in the future, turn her into pure evil. So, should I still give her that chance?”
Life looked at her, shaking its head.
“Not every soul is the same. Not every person that is about to die and instead lives, will do harm to others,” Life mumbled.
“Maybe, but, I’ve got to make a choice. She decided it was her time. And it was. If she wants to go, she’ll go. Anyone one who decides that, always, always, says they couldn’t have been stopped, that nothing could change their minds; that they were meant to die, that they don’t have another purpose.”
“But they do,” Life butted in.
Death nodded, picking up the girls letter as they began reading.
“Yeah, they do have a purpose, a meaning. But if they want to go, they’ll find a way to leave. So why put up a battle with a lost soul when they give up, when they can no longer find themselves or see light within the darkness?”
“Because, if they can find the light, it’s possible… They could continue” Life argued.
The girl’s ghost appeared a few feet away, she was drenched and shaking. Death opened his arms and held the girl as she cried into his chest.
“I am their light.”
“Then what am I?” asked Life.
“Their darkness,” Death answered.
“But I gave them life.”
“And I gave them peace.”

]]>https://goldenrodpress.com/2018/09/21/peace-in-death-meant-to-go/feed/0LIFE_OR_DEATH_STEP-1hushingwinterThe Villain of Love; The Hero of Painhttps://goldenrodpress.com/2018/09/19/the-villain-of-love-the-hero-of-pain/
https://goldenrodpress.com/2018/09/19/the-villain-of-love-the-hero-of-pain/#respondWed, 19 Sep 2018 12:41:52 +0000http://goldenrodpress.com/?p=6093“Why do you do it? Why do you kill? Why must you be the villain?!” Screamed Hero. Surrounded by nothing, Hero and Villain sat across from each other at a table.
“Because without destruction, there would be no peace,” Villain stated.
“You speak in riddles and with a twisted mind. Without destruction, there would be only peace.”
“Nobody would know what peace is without pain. Like nobody would know what love is without hate. And nobody would know what happiness is without sadness,” Villain answered.

Hero stared blankly at Villain, not wanting to show her how he truly felt. But under the pressure, his mask slipped off.
“I lost someone because of you. They’re dead. Gone! Just like that!”
“I’m sorry, but I do what must be done.”
“No. You don’t. You could have killed a pedophile. A murderer. An abuser. Even a thief! Anyone, but a good soul,” Hero cried.
Villain laughed, not from joy but sadness. Hero could not possibly understand Villains motives, her intentions.
Hero slammed his fists on the table.
“Define good,” Villain spoke calmly, raising an eyebrow.
“Good is good. It’s caring about others, helping others. It’s being nice and sweet. Its making sure others are okay and looking out for them. It’s not having any bad intentions, not harming or hurting anyone-”
“Does that include themselves?” Villain interrupted.
“No. Yes. What…?” Hero stammered, stuck feeling broken by emotions.
“Nobody is good. Open your eyes. See the world as it is. Everyone tries to hurt everyone at some point. Nobody gives crap about themselves or others. Everyone’s in it for themselves. It’s all about pain. It’s what they thrive off. Toss a little war and drama into their life, and everyone one will rush into it. They’re damned to be bad. We’re all bad. Even you. I merely just take the blame for it.” Villain explained.
“I’m not bad! I’m the hero. The one who helps and save others!” Hero interjected.
“Pity you can’t save yourself,” Villain replied, lifting Hero’s sleeves up. Villain knew of the cuts, the scars. How not only were they on his wrists, but his chest and legs; how he’d spend hours punching and bruising, burning and scarring.
“You’re no hero. You can’t save someone else if you haven’t saved yourself. People call me a Villain because in a painful way, I help. You need to be hurt to heal, you need to lose yourself to find yourself. You need to live in chaos to find peace. You need to hate to love. You need to bleed to breathe. You need to live on the edge, to be ever so close to death, to love and accept life. To stop surviving and start living. I hurt others for their own good. So stop helping them. Let them have their own pain. Let them grow with it.”
“Let them die? I couldn’t.”
“Their pain builds them, and destroys you.”
“I’d rather destroy myself trying to save them, then watch them die to the same I lost myself to.”
“Find yourself first, then let me know if you still feel the same way.”
“I hate you, you know that? I freaking hate you,” the hero screamed, not understanding why so many people had to hurt.
“And I love you. One day, I hope you see that. I hope that you’ll understand why I do the things I do. I hope that one day, you’ll love me too. But until then, stop for a moment and look around, and just breathe.”

]]>https://goldenrodpress.com/2018/09/19/the-villain-of-love-the-hero-of-pain/feed/0downloadhushingwinterVGC 19 Analysis #1 – Xerneashttps://goldenrodpress.com/2018/09/15/vgc-19-analysis-1-xerneas/
https://goldenrodpress.com/2018/09/15/vgc-19-analysis-1-xerneas/#respondSat, 15 Sep 2018 20:07:15 +0000http://goldenrodpress.com/?p=6108Yep, we’re back doing VGC analysis articles! Guess what else is gracing VGC players with their presence again… that’s right, the uber legends have returned to competitive play! So what better way is there to kick start the return of our Analysis series than talking about one of the ubers you’re going to be seeing all season long? Enter, the God Deer, Xerneas!

Now, we’re not going to be attempting to redefine Xerneas at all with any zany Specs, Scarf or Big Berry sets. Whilst they could all have their niche, there’s literally no point in handicapping one of your two restricted picks; all the following sets are going to utilise Xerneas’ Power Herb, Geomancy set.

But don’t despair! A look at Xerneas’ base stats demonstrate that there can be a lot of variance in its spreads, despite utilising the same move sets. 126/95/98 across bulk for a set up sweeper is incredible, especially when you factor in Xern’s already monstrous Special Attack and swift 99 base speed – there are a lot of different attacks you can train your Legendary Deer to take. A standard 252 Sp. Atk, 252 Speed spread with a Timid nature works wonderfully as a starting point for any Xerneas teams, but if you want something a little different, try one of these EV spreads!

The Moveset!– Protect – Moonblast – Geomancy – Dazzling Gleam (?)

This is the moveset you’ll be seeing, and using, a lot of the time. Protect is essential for your board positioning, allowing a partner to take care of the threat to Xerneas; after all, once you Geomancy, you won’t be wanting to switch out. Moonblast is the Fairy STAB of choice which – once powered up by Geomancy AND Xern’s ability Fairy Aura – hits for ridiculous amounts of damage. Geomancy is the main draw to using Xerneas, boosting its Sp. Atk, Sp. Def and Speed by two stages; whilst it’s usually a two turn move (like Solar Beam and Sky Attack) it turns into a one turn move by Xerneas consuming its Power Herb item. The final slot is the only real area for debate; often, you’re going to be wanting to run Dazzling Gleam to hit multiple opponents for big damage after boosting with Geomancy. You could run any of the following for coverage in that last slot, it depends solely on how the rest of your team is built to support your Xerneas:

You could also go for a more defensive/support oriented move in this slot, such as Substitute, Heal Pulse, Reflect/Light Screen or even Ingrain for constant recovery and immunity to Whirlwind and Roar. My recommendation would be to go for Protect, Geomancy and two attacking moves.

This is the Xerneas spread I’ve been rocking out with since day one of VGC 19. Too often, you’ll set up your Xerneas only to be staring down a Pokémon with powerful Steel type attacks, leaving your only options to Protect or Chip it down with a resisted attack before being knocked out. The Nature is dependent on whether you want to be outspeeding Smeargle (and other base 75 speed mons) before your boost, or whether you want the maximum damage output to compliment all that physical bulk.

The investment in bulk allows Xerneas to catch opponents off guard and take a surprising amount of punishment:

With Xerneas being such a powerful option, it’s inevitable you’re going to find yourself in a Xerneas vs Xerneas mirror war. This spread gives you the edge in the 1v1 against the most common Xerneas spread out there:

Again, you have the same option to outspeed opposing Smeargle by running a Timid nature whilst the Special Bulk makes Xerneas almost impossible to take down – especially with the correct support – for opposing Special Attackers:

And that just about wraps it up for Xerneas! Let us know on Facebook which spread you’re opting for and keep your eyes peeled for more VGC 19 Analysis articles and giveaways!

]]>https://goldenrodpress.com/2018/09/15/vgc-19-analysis-1-xerneas/feed/0lnlkmlkmchaoticespeonXerneas base statsgeomancy gifxern eye gifdominant xernDeath To Life; Lovehttps://goldenrodpress.com/2018/07/15/death-to-life-love/
https://goldenrodpress.com/2018/07/15/death-to-life-love/#respondSun, 15 Jul 2018 20:59:50 +0000http://goldenrodpress.com/?p=6091“Where the hell have you been?!” He roared, pushing past her into the apartment.
“You need to leave…” She mumbled her head down low.
“No. You stood me up last night. You’ve been ignoring my texts and calls. And everyone keeps telling me they’ve seen you with some strange guy when you were meant to be with me! I deserve answers. I’m your boyfriend.” Hayden yelled.
Ashley stepped back, scared and upset, but the only thing she could say was a plea to make him leave.

“No! Wait. He’s here isn’t he? Where is he? Come on Ash, where the hell is he?” Hayden lost his temper, angry, confused and upset. He had a thousand questions, and no answers. He was crazily in love, and afraid to lose the girl who had his heart.
Ashley moved in front of Hayden as he stepped over to the bedroom.
“Don’t. You don’t want to go in there,” Ashley cried, tears running down her face. Hayden laughed coldly, unable to believe Ashley’s actions. How the hell could she act like the victim when I was the one who got hurt, by her. Bu her! The one who was meant to love me the most. The one a mother always warned her son of, because they never wanted to lose their children to another woman, let alone the pain when she leaves.

Hayden shoved passed Ashley and opened to door, storming in. But he had not come prepared, and expected something else. Instead of the usual set up, Ashley’s bed and wardrobe with walls draped in paintings and posters, there was a white space that never ended, a void filled with people Hayden use to know. People that had left. People that had passed on and died. As he searched every face for their expressions, a flash back from their funerals came to his mind. All the tears shed, the goodbyes said, and the suffering of loss. And how they were in front of him, acting like everything was fine and normal. Hayden was frozen to the ground, being drawn deeper into a trance.
“I’m so sorry…” Ashley cried, coming into his view. She tilted his chin up, forcing him to break stare with the ground.
“What…why? How? This can’t be right…” Hayden stumbled, lost, confused, and upset.
Ashley shook her head, “I don’t expect you to understand. Not one bit. I just hope you’ll accept it, the truth that is… I’m sorry. It’ll be okay though, they’re only here because it’s my time to cross over, and join them. So go.”
Hayden stared at Ashley, “No. No! You’re alive. They’re dead. You can’t just… what… No… Ash no…”
“Go, don’t turn back. Shut the door behind you and don’t open it again. Call whoever, but please, don’t look again,” Ashley begged, pushing him out of the room. Before Hayden could protest, she slammed the door behind him and with a click the door locked. Hayden began banging on the door, and screaming Ashley’s name. The thought of losing Ash was unbearable. Knowing what was lying on the other side of the door, Hayden began kicking at the door harder. Maybe if I’m a second ahead of death, I can save her. Be with her. Love her.

With a final kick, the door flew open. In the middle of the room, Ashley floated. Her body limp and cold, her face expressionless. Hayden ran to her immediately and untied the rope. Ashley’s body hit the floor, and Hayden fell to his feet. He lifted her head, felling for a pulse and listening for a hear beat. Nothing. He placed his ear near her mouth and nose, but there was still nothing. Hayden began giving her CPR as tears ran fiercely down his face. Her neck was bruise and bleeding from the rope.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t quick enough, but that he was too late. He couldn’t have known when she’d do it. He couldn’t have known that she wanted to. What he should have known, was that death could not be out run. Death came when it was called. And loving people to life, is impossible.

]]>https://goldenrodpress.com/2018/07/15/death-to-life-love/feed/0ewafhgnrteafdshfdteahushingwinterA Boxful of Truthhttps://goldenrodpress.com/2018/06/21/a-boxful-of-truth/
https://goldenrodpress.com/2018/06/21/a-boxful-of-truth/#respondThu, 21 Jun 2018 22:22:45 +0000http://goldenrodpress.com/?p=6083My time was limited. Each month, both a friend or family member would disappear on the 1st, and their body found on the 10th, mutilated. The police were useless, they didn’t care, they were getting paid to sit around all day, so why would they investigate such things? I had taken it upon myself to find the murderer, no longer would I lose the ones closest to me. I knew I’d be next, I had but one friend and my mother left. Every night I dreamt of the murderer and the victims. The bodies covered in blood, their faces almost unrecognisable with their insides ripped out.

It all started in January, the first month of the year. On New Year’s Eve my father and mother proposed to forget the past, as long as it didn’t reoccur. Dad had left that evening, and didn’t come home. I found mum sobbing in the hallway as she demanded I go to my room. Then, we didn’t see him for ten days straight, until his body appeared in the middle of the town hall, cut into pieces. Police took the body away and asked a few questions, but that’s all they ever did. From then on, someone I knew disappeared each month. I began collecting the evidence that police left, and secretly I had built my own investigation.

“Who cares, whoever the killer is, they’re doing you a favour.” My mother’s voice rang out, when I lost my best friend.
“I care,” I sobbed.
“She was an unfaithful, backstabbing bit-”
“NO!” I screamed, “Don’t you care at all?”
“Everyone has their secrets Amanda, she was just good at hurting you with them.” My mother whispered, before stalking off into her bedroom.

After a long day at school, I came home tearful. My face was red and blotchy, my lip fat and inflated, my knuckles bloody and sore. Just as I was about to seek my mother’s attention, and tell her how horrible kids were in high school, I smelt smoke. I limped towards the smell, and there stood my mother with my box.
“This is a box, full of truth. We wouldn’t want the police to get their hands on it now would we?” My mother frowned. She towered over the fire she created. I attempted to snatch the box from her, but she poured its contents into the firey hell.
“Why?! How?! That was mine…” I stammered, backing away. Mother’s eyes never faulted, they were glued to the flames.
“The City police are on their way. The investigation is being given to the capital. Their first stop was here.” She mumbled, her voice monotone like a broken robot.
“I knew it… How wasn’t it obvious before…? You’re the killer.” I stuttered, trying to recollect myself. The room began to spin, as the smoke made my mind hazy. My breath quickened, it became harder to breathe, my chest feeling tighter by the second. Before I could react, my panic forced me to faint.

“Miss Lisa, I’m detective Mike, and this is my partner Janice. We’d like to ask you a few questions.” Two officers stood by bedside. I was laying in a hospital bed, my head pounding, and my mind foggy. I looked around, as my memories reformed.
“What questions?” I mumbled, sitting up.
“There was a fire, who started it, how and why?” Janice persisted.
“My mother… the deaths, I had collected evidence and she burnt it. I came home and she had it… Then I just… collapsed I guess.” I replied.
“This evidence, what was it and do you have any leads?” Mike questioned.
“My mother’s the killer, she has to be. My father… My friends… She said they all had it coming… It makes sense. She was always out and about when the murders occurred.” I whisper, my voice cracking.
“We did manage to recover some items from the fire, but we’re going to need your help with what they are and from which murder,” Mike spoke again.
I nodded, “Sure, but where’s my mother?”
“In custody, till she is deemed fit,” Janice spoke.
“You’ll be staying with our team for your own safety and the investigations closure,” Mike added.

“These are the items we recovered. The floor is yours,” Lee instructed, stepping back from a plastic wrapped table. He held a note book, recording my statements. The rubber gloves felt droopy, and pain attacked my mind with each item I touched.

The valentines card; my father had been having an affair with a mistress, and when my mother found out they fought nonstop. On New Year’s Eve he promised to put an end to it, only to see the mistress that night.
The mobile phone; It was Steph’s phone, full of sly rumours and gossip all based around me. She was my best friend, using me of course.
The bong; my brothers secret, he had been a druggie for a while. It feel out of his pocket when the police carried his emotionless corpse away.
Two matching rings; My grandparents wedding rings, never had they taken them off, yet before their bodies appeared, I found them under my mother’s bedroom sink.

“That’s all that was saved? There was so much more. I don’t know how I didn’t see it… But, it all links to my mother,” I coughed.
“Yes, we see that. I’ll just put this into the system and we’ll move onto something else,” Lee frowned, patting my shoulder. I stood staring at the items, rage and anger. My mother killed everyone I loved, why would she do this? But I knew that already. I knew why she targeted them. Well, not her, but close enough.

A month had passed and nobody was hurt. The trial was closed, and my mother was sentenced to life in jail. Today, I would visit her for the first and last time. I needed to do this, for myself. I stand at the booth, no one near. My mother was already there waiting.
“Why’d you do it?” I asked, needing the clarification.
“I could ask you the same thing sweetie,” my mother grumbled.
“You took the blame oh mother dearest, congratulations,” I laughed.
My mother looked apologetic, “Where did I go wrong? I was only protecting you.”
“No, I was protecting you,” I gritted my teeth. “Father was a cheater, he wasn’t going to stop. Your parents were abusive, didn’t care for you once. Brother beat you for money, Jeremy was meant to be my lover but you ruined that and all my friends hated us. Everything I did was for you. I protected you. You didn’t protect me. You let HIM hurt me. You let your little lover touch me. You let him do whatever he wanted, all because you needed to feel loved when father was no longer around. All you ever did was take the blame for me,” I erupted.
“I know, I know. I’m sorry. What will become of you now?” My mother whimpered.
“I’ll be the mother I never had,” I spat coldly, patting my stomach as I stood up.

A single tear rolled down my face as I strolled outside. The doors swung back and forth, slowly coming to an end. The wind picked up, and began to howl. The sun began to set, as darkness approached. Everyone’s got something coming, no one is innocent. All I’ve ever done, is help karma with its job. But now it’s time I retire, and let my angel grow.

]]>https://goldenrodpress.com/2018/06/21/a-boxful-of-truth/feed/01549283-bloodviolencekilledmurder-1509774119hushingwinterHRS Invictus: Scamming young graduates into unpaid sixty hour work weeks.https://goldenrodpress.com/2018/05/28/hrs-invictus-scamming-young-graduates-into-unpaid-sixty-hour-work-weeks/
https://goldenrodpress.com/2018/05/28/hrs-invictus-scamming-young-graduates-into-unpaid-sixty-hour-work-weeks/#commentsMon, 28 May 2018 14:27:10 +0000http://goldenrodpress.com/?p=6036Picture the scene. You’re at home, relaxing in the living room after another grueling day in the office, sinking into the first bite of your home made meal. You hear a pounding on the front door. YOUR front door. Interrupting you in the privacy and sanctity of your own home. You open to be greeted by a suited and booted gentleman claiming that you’re spending too much on your utility bills. Annoying right? Well imagine the flip side – a recent University graduate, desperately looking for their first post study full time job, willing to snap up the first promise of progression and high salaries which comes their way. Combine the two, and you get HRS Invictus.

Nikesh Patel’s young company came to my attention through an innocent enough posting on Linkedin, where they were seeking Marketing assistants. It seemed attractive enough – the promise of assisting in marketing campaigns of an unnamed “internationally recognized client” using targeted marketing techniques. For those of you who are unaware, “targeted marketing” implies that a marketing company have researched – extensively – a products target audience and devises campaigns to appeal directly to this chosen demographic. An example of this would be the giveaway campaigns our website has run across Social Media, where we identify the people who would be interested most in winning our competitions and visiting our website. This is how Invictus advertised this specific role, and this is what the other fifteen applicants alongside me had applied for.

The initial interview process was straight forward enough; a quick screening interview lasting, at most, ten minutes before ringing back that same day to invite successful candidates to a second interview at an “Open Day”. A day in which we could observe the “marketing team” and have any inquiries about the role & company answered. A day, which would last from 11am to 8pm; nine unpaid hours. In this instance, the “team” consisted of one person, a lad in his early twenties, ready to assess the competency of the four applicants assigned to him. We were quickly ushered out of the two room office space within Leeds’ Oxford House to be stood outside and informed that the four of us were in direct competition with each other. One of us would be asked to leave early into the day and we would be taking a bus (yes, we were asked to pay for our own fares) to the other side of the city, to observe the work successful applicants would be expected to do. Imagine that. A hugely successful and profitable marketing company (as we had rammed down our throats on numerous occasions) having their valuable and trusted employees use public transport to take valued applicants away from the offices where these second interviews were to be held, carting them off miles away to the far end of the city where one unsuccessful candidate would be sent away – presumably forced to make their own way back to the city centre.

In our groups case, we were being ferried off to Crossgates – not too far away from the centre of Leeds. However, one unlucky Reddit user was required to go even further – needing to travel by train to Huddersfield, and by bus towards a housing estate.

“I think we’re walking to an office. Carlton then takes out a blue neon jacket, puts on a name badge, and starts knocking on people doors and talking to them about overpaying their energy bill. I get it: This is door to door selling. But how is [the job] sold? As an incredible business opportunity. As something only us lucky few, 5 of us from 25+ who interviewed, were good enough to witness!”

As we were being instructed to board the bus, I decided enough was enough; directly asking our ‘guide’ exactly what sort of work we would be observing. I was hurriedly told he would explain on the way, trying again to usher us onto the bus. No answer. I tried again with an even more direct question, asking whether we would Street Selling or knocking on peoples front doors and that the majority of applicants probably hadn’t signed up to do this. He shot me a glare before rushing ahead onto the bus but his lack of an answer spoke volumes of their intentions. I elected to leave, choosing not to waste any more of my time; thankfully, I noticed a few other applicants from different groups took this as their cue to also leave.

After delving a little further into the company I discovered inconsistencies in their pitch to applicants.

Whilst being led to catch our bus, we were told of the highly profitable relationship Invictus enjoys with Broadband provider Talk-Talk. According to our guide, their partnership began in 2012 and Invictus assisted Talk-Talk in acquiring 56% of their 4.2 million customer boom. Impressive right? This is a company that clearly gets things done on a drastic scale! Companies should be lining up to acquire the marketing acumen Invictus provides surely? Well, actually, no. A quick look at Patel’s (HRS Invictus CEO) Linkedin page provides evidence that this story has as much factual basis as Little Red Riding Hood.

“I founded HRS Invictus in October 2016 in London, now we have expanded into two other locations including Leeds and Maidstone.”

Want to be confused even further? Surf on over to their eyesore of a website, you’ll find a third alternative founding date!

“Since starting in London in 2008, we have expanded into multiple markets worldwide. HRS Invictus now has access to a network consisting of more than 3000 sales and marketing professionals that represent our clients in over 700 locations across 17 countries worldwide.”

So which is it guys? 2008? 2016? 2017? The whole idea that a company which consists of 11-50 employees has somehow expanded across 17 countries worldwide; yet, despite their success, are only able to maintain ‘offices’ in Leeds and Maidstone makes this whole scenario feel more than a little far-fetched.

Reviews don’t make pleasant reading for HRS Invictus either, a small number of the many negative reviews relating to this company will be posted below, but to summarise the most worrying points raised:

Little to no base salary – one review states minimum wage as a rate of pay, whereas others state income is completely commission based.

Ridiculously long hours – Working hours are strictly 10am – 10pm, six days a week.

Useless ‘Open Day’ – Candidates will observe door to door sales. Most candidates will be hired as Invictus are desperate for door to door/street sales people.

“Opportunities are limited” lie – Company is constantly pumping out job advertisements with slight differences in wording to reach more job seekers.

No holiday pay, sick pay, bank holidays

No Contract – Absolutely no job security offered.

Misleading/Non-Existent job titles

UNPAID TWO WEEK TRAINING PERIOD –

So, if you’re a University graduate take the advice from countless other young adults in your position. Avoid HRS Invictus at all costs, you’re worth more than being flung into potentially dangerous areas of cities, completely alone, disturbing people in the comfort of their own homes.

We’ve offered HRS Invictus the opportunity to comment on this article. At this time, no comment has been forthcoming.

REVIEWS:

REPETITIVE AND MISLEADING JOB ADVERTS:

]]>https://goldenrodpress.com/2018/05/28/hrs-invictus-scamming-young-graduates-into-unpaid-sixty-hour-work-weeks/feed/1433689793_10156361602344322_5501568178045583360_nchaoticespeoninvictus foundingLush Cosmetics Review #2 – Lava Lamphttps://goldenrodpress.com/2017/10/16/lush-cosmetics-review-2-lava-lamp/
https://goldenrodpress.com/2017/10/16/lush-cosmetics-review-2-lava-lamp/#respondMon, 16 Oct 2017 20:26:16 +0000http://chaoticespeon.com/?p=5894I am a woman on a mission, and that sweet smelling quest is to test and review every Lush bath bomb I can get my glitter stained hands on. For those who wish to read a little more about Lush and their company policies, click here. For those already in the know, below you will find a very honest break down of the pros and cons of each product I have used. For the record, I am not an employee of the company, past or present and I am not endorsed by Lush in any way (although I wish I was!).

Today’s review is on…

Lava Lamp

This now discontinued (at least in the UK, possibly other countries) ballistic certainly emits funky retro vibes. The groovy orange sphere comes decorated with dark purple blobs, giving perfect definition of its Lava Lamp inspiration. To look at, this bath bomb is pretty cool and a bit of fun. The scent is boasting of triple citrus goodness – Sicilian mandarin, tangerine and orange flower to deliver a truly tropical and refreshing relaxation experience. Despite its fully flavoured ingredients, the smell for me was not very memorable although I did not have any complaints as such in that regard. I recall using this bath bomb pretty early on into my ballistic testing, and so in comparison to Big Blue and Dragon Egg, the aroma was simply not as exciting. As soon as it hit the hot water, it did give out an impressive display that fell true to what you would expect a lava lamp bath tub to look like. However, the purple and navy blobs that exploded out whilst fizzing did not linger for very long, and overall left the water a dark orange colour. The particles that did remain all swept to the sides of the bath, which ultimately birthed the primary issue I had with this ballistic. It stained the sides of the tub. Now, a lot of the bath products I have used from Lush, particularly the very colourful ones, do occasionally leave an imprint of colour or texture behind after draining. Usually nothing more than a splash of water solves the problem. However, Lava Lamp’s purple fusion tried its damn well best to stay visible. As an OCD diagnosed sufferer, my bath is always subjected to brutal scrubbing after every use with a good dose of bleach around the edges and drain. But even my trusted cleaning products struggled to remove the purple residue. It took serious effort and a couple of days for the colour to fade away entirely. And whilst on the subject of staining, it not only marked the bath but also my skin. A few ballistics I have used leave glitter and shimmer on the skin after bathing, but I had vivid purple splodges all over that again were a pain to clean off my skin. Not exactly what you desire after taking a bath to get clean. It was because of that reason alone that I knew this was not a product I would ever purchase or use again. The only positive was that whilst in the water, it made my skin feel incredible soft, but certainly not enough to convince me that this is worth the clean-up. Lava Lamp is known to be a cult classic, but for me, it was a massive fail.

For those who are not familiar with the company or its policies, Lush are a cosmetics brand that produce face masks, moisturisers, perfumes, body scrubs, lip balms and even toothpaste.
Although most people are usually introduced to the company through its positive word of mouth for its colourful and fun bath products. What I love most about Lush, aside from the gorgeous smelling bubble bars, are the ethnics it strongly abides by. The heart of the company’s philosophy provides the freshest and most natural items with all products being handmade and 100% vegetarian friendly. They only source their ingredients from suppliers that check off against their huge and specific criteria, featuring workers fair pay, organic environments, minimum air freight, packaging materials used, controlled factory waste and no genetic modification. All Lush products are sold with 100% recyclable packaging, with their infamous ‘Fight Animal Testing‘ branded to their paper bags. Charity is another key element to Lush. Last year alone in the UK, they raised £1.6 million for small charities, campaigns and organisations working in the areas of environment, animal protection and human rights – whilst globally, they donated £6.3 million. So overall, a purchase from Lush not only promises a lavish bathing experience or silky smooth skin from their lotions and potions, but it also benefits so many others in need. Their signature ‘Charity Pot’ body lotion sees the customer’s entire paid amount (minus the taxes) go directly to good causes – not many other brands have such generosity in place. Giving truly never felt so good.

With brand history and statistics aside, I would highly recommend a visit to your local store wherever possible. New products sweep in constantly so there is always something fresh for your eyes (and nose) to gawk at. Particularly during festive periods, such as Halloween or Christmas, for their seasonal ranges are to die for. Each month I purchase a haul of bath bombs and bubble bars with the intention of testing them all out. And on this sweet smelling journey, I decided to review each product so for those curious about the experiences of each ballistic. There is an honest breakdown regarding the appearance, the scent, the added extras such as popping candy, glitter and even jelly rose petals. I will highlight the pros and cons of each product and offer a slice of my opinion. Considering each and every individual enjoys different scents and textures, some of my feelings may clash with other minds. And may I add I am not an employee of the company, past or present and I am not endorsed by Lush in any way (although I wish I was!)

Big Blue

Big Blue is where my unhealthy obsession for bath bombs originated from. It was the first bomb I had ever tried after coming recommended by a friend and ex-employee of Lush. I desired something close to the beach, for my inner water-baby missed the experience of the ocean. He sold it to me fairly effortlessly as he described how it contained coarse sea salt and a plentiful amount of seaweed that floats around in the tub. And it certainly delivered. The scent is heavenly refreshing and strong. The smell remained on my skin for a few days after bathing, which was pleasant. It also doubled up as a brilliant air freshener in the bathroom – each time I opened the door, my senses were bombarded by its splendid citrus goodness. One of the other noticeable features enjoyed from this particular bath bomb was the length of time fizzing. Unlike some of the others, Big Blue is a bomb that takes its time whizzing around the bath, painting the hot water in its vivid shade of sky blue. The cherry on top of the cake for me though was the arame seaweed. It works as the perfect ingredient for super soft skin for it includes many detoxifying minerals including calcium, copper, magnesium, iron, zinc and iodine. All of which are highly beneficial to hair and skin. Whilst splashing about, living my Ariel fantasy, I could not resist capturing the drifting strands and rubbing it against myself. After my first use of Big Blue, I honestly could not stop stroking my arms and legs for how smooth they felt. Only thing to note is that there is a clean-up required after draining the tub, as a build-up of seaweed tends to clog around the plughole and a few stray strands of seaweed stick around the edges. But that has never been a reason to put me off. If you are new to Lush or are curious about bath bombs, I would strongly suggest trying Big Blue for yourself. As one of my go-to bath products, I am rarely without a Big Blue at home and I tend to add a handful crumble of the Brightside bubble bar for full mermaid realness.